I am very pleased the Commissioners inquiring into Aged Care Quality and Safety in Australia will hold a public forum in Newcastle.
I wrote to the Commissioners in August, inviting them to hold a hearing here, and have continued to raise this important issue in Parliament and in the media.
I have been contacted by many older constituents and their families who have concerns about residential aged care and home care.
Some of the stories of neglect and abuse in residential aged care emerging from the Royal Commission are truly shocking.
And it is just as alarming to realise there are 120,000 older Australians waiting for care at home, some up to two years, and that 16,000 have died waiting.
The forum in the Newcastle this month will allow people in Newcastle, the Hunter Valley, Lake Macquarie and Port Stephens, as well as the Central Coast and Mid-North Coast – all of which have large aged and retirement populations – to have their voices heard.
Our older Australians deserve quality care. They must be treated with dignity and the concerns of their families and loved ones taken seriously.
I would urge anyone with a story to tell the Commission to attend the forum on Wednesday, 27 November, 9.30am-12.30pm at NEX @ Wests City. Details are here